US press drools over 'hottest golfer' Jeev

Augusta, Georgia, Apr 5 (UNI) Even Sachin Tendulkar would have envied the kind of exposure Jeev Milkha Singh is getting in the United States with the press here drooling over the first ever native Indian to tee off at the Masters.

Talk of the town alongside of course Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and the other Singh -- Vijay Singh -- Jeev has reams written over him as he tees off his way to history.

''And though cricket still captivates the people of the second-most-populated country in the world, Singh will have one of the largest galleries -- at least on television,'' according to Augusta Chronicle.

It mentions how a 12-year-old Jeev learned the tricks of the trade watching Masters recordings and went on to become one of the country's celebrated sportspersons.

''The bootleg videotapes usually found their way into Jeev Milkha Singh's VCR about a month after the Masters Tournament winner slipped the green jacket over his shoulders.

''His countrymen won't need videotape Thursday when Singh becomes the first player from India to compete in the Masters,'' it said.

Sports Illustrated, meanwhile, called Jeev unarguably golf's most frequent traveller, globetrotting to play in almost everywhere in the world.

''He has long been golf's most frequent flier, powering through a maniacal travel schedule that has taken him to every corner of the golf world,'' it said.

''At various points in his career Singh has held cards on the European, Japanese, Asian and Nationwide tours, often playing more than one tour in the same season. In 2006, the quality of Singh's golf finally caught up to the quantity, as he produced one of the more remarkable years in the annals of the sport, playing 39 tournaments in 17 countries on four continents, along the way racking up 20 top 10 finishes, including two victories in Japan, one in China and the biggest win of his career at the European tour's prestigious season-ending Volvo Masters, in Sotogrande, Spain.

''The Volvo Masters and the double dip in Japan came during a blazing stretch last fall during which Singh established himself as the hottest golfer in the world,'' it observed.

UNI